I would not say change is what people are afraid of. Sure, a lot of people don't like new things about Pokemon, but that's really just the easy way of saying why people criticize the things others love -- a scapegoat for the defendant, if you will.

When I was little, I was contemplating things (That is, aware of my self and capable of remembering) around the time of the second generation's full swing (Meaning all the N64 games were dying out, but there were a million Pokemon games to go with it. Pity I took 3D graphics for granted). I was grasping the concept that Pokemon came out with a new generation every so-and-so years, even though Second Gen was supposed to be the "Final" one according to some articles, and could not wait for the next ones to come out.

So then the third generation came out. Utterly slick, over and beyond the usual Pokemon charm with quick finesse and sharpness. It drew people in. I loved it, but felt something a little off in it's style. It wasn't that it was bad, just. . . Different. I don't love it as much now, but that's because I lost Emerald before I got the chance to play it. Anyway, Fourth Gen came around, I was still psyched despite being much older. The Pokemon seemed to have adopted both the classic and newer style, and I was rather at peace with that as each Pokemon appeared to be cool but retained some essence of what they really were.

Fifth generation? If I was a child, I would know something was hideously wrong. I would love it, cherish it, but know in my heart that there was no resemblance to the classic name they were supposed to embody. People say that they don't care about Pokemon's appearances, but that, I'm afraid, is a blatant lie. Pokemon is all about appearances. Without appearances, Pokemon would not have it's glorious charm, beauty, etc. The fifth generation seemed to lose touch with that. You had to fight for a resemblance, a return, a familiarity.

Afraid of change? Afraid of what things will become next. Afraid that Pokemon will not be Pokemon anymore. It is true that many changes are happening in the series, just to keep it up and make things interesting, but change is dangerous. I am not talking about the "Change" that people just like to throw around everywhere as if it's a small deal. This is a Change that instills much more, a Change that can easily devour the entire franchise we have all grown to love. Change that can turn something into something it is not.

. . . That aside, I still plan on playing X and Y. Black and White managed to blow my mind with it's story line, it's graphics, and it's animation. X and Y will hopefully have that same knack for such things, and hopefully there will be plenty more Pokemon I like than in Fifth gen.